Bone and Blade Book 1: the Blackened Road
by BlueRiverSaint
Summary: A Sword & Sorcery AU. Naruto and his fellow mercenaries take on the highest paying job of their careers, not knowing the challenges and foes their mysterious client will bring down upon them.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I do not own the rights of Naruto, Avatar: the Last Airbender, or any other series or characters depicted or referenced in this work of fanfiction. The setting is of my own creation but is heavily inspired by other fantasy settings such as Dragon Age: Origins, Dungeons & Dragons, and Neverwinter Nights. This is my first posted work of fanfiction. You have been warned.

And now, for your reading pleasure, I present to you:

**Brothers of the Blade: Book 1**

Chapter 1

The Blind Dog was one of the oldest taverns in the city of Baretha, and as a consequence one of the oldest in Umbria. Over the course of centuries it has been witness to riots, rebellions, city-consuming flames, and war of all kinds and flavors. It has been broken, battered, even burnt to the ground, but always it was rebuilt and reborn. And always it has been called the Blind Dog.

Tucked away in a half-lit corner of the city, not on but not too far from any main thoroughfares, barely a half-hour's walk from the docks, and maybe, just maybe it happened to be neutral ground for all the city's thieves guilds, gangs, and other such dregs of society, the Blind Dog was the place to look were one in need of the services of a mercenary. Or a sellsword as they prefered to call themselves. A romantic bunch the mercenaries of Umbria.

Master Merchant Brey found himself in dire need of a few sellswords. Ones of the utmost quality in skill and… character, if such a term could be applied to mercenaries. According to his contacts a mercenary of such characteristics, as well as the band he led, could be found in the Blind Dog. The same contacts also gave name. Brey looked to both ends of the street where the Blind Dog's entrance stood. At each end he could just discern the guards sans any livery, knives and short swords in hiding just in case of any problems. Brey really hoped that would not be the case tonight. He checked to ensure he had not been robbed on the way. It would not do to approach a sellsword without any sort of payment or collateral, especially the one he sought to employ. Everything and everyone looked to be in their places and all that was left was to walk through the door.

As soon as Brey stepped into the tavern he felt a wave of sound and smell strike him. Cheap alcohol mixed with an off-tune fiddle did not in theory look to be a good combination, but the dancing and roaring patrons filling the tavern floor seemed to strongly disagree. It proved a struggle for Brey to even move about the tavern. How all these people could move so much, so packed with each other, and not end up in a massive brawl was a question beyond Brey's mind. Every step he made nearly put his foot down on someone else's. Every time he tried to ask a question he had to yell at the limits of his voice just to get someone's attention. Finally, after an indeterminate amount of time of muddling through the crowd and after his voice had nearly become hoarse, he was finally able to get an idea of where in the tavern to look. On the other side of the tavern, opposite of the entrance, was a staircase leading to the upper floors.

When Brey reached the third landing he had found whom he had been seeking. The mercenary, the sellsword sat at a round table, a mug of ale in one hand, the other making fantastic flourishes in the air, and wearing the most impish and childlike grin he had ever seen on a grown man. All around him were men and women who looked fresh from the festivities below. Some had the look of dockworkers while others looked like they normally worked at the Blind Dog. And from amongst the gathered partiers a voice cut through it all, one filled with mirth and life.

"And then I said have a drink- right before dumping the whole barrel a beer on him!" The table exploded in laughter, fists pounded the table, and nostrils spouted ale. The joker laughed harder than anyone else, toothy grin reflecting the lamplight, blond hair thrown back revealing slightly-pointed ears of a man with some elven ancestry. This was the man he had been searching for.

"Excuse me. Mr. Uzumaki, could I have your attention sir?"

"Who are you?"

Brey turned and saw who he would henceforth remember as the scariest man he would ever see. The man sat alone in a corner of the landing, next to the railing, a perfect position to survey the whole landing as well as the front of the lower tavern. In one hand he held a whetstone being run along one of the edges of a most peculiar weapon. Three blades and curved like spines, almost looked to grow from the sides of a gauntlet. The tips of gauntlet fingers were tipped with savage looking claws. What Brey found more alarming than the weapon was the man possessing it. From the fellow's dark hair, lean build, and oddly shaped eyes he most likely came from one the eastern countries beyond both the Greenbone Range and the great desert. It was not the man's heritage that alarmed the merchant, rather it was horrific scar wrapped around the left side of the face warping the flesh around one eye and possibly an ear as well. The scar combined with the man's strange golden eyes froze Brey on the spot. Some old, simpler part of his human mind screamed for the merchant to run and hide from that gaze and his muscles almost followed through were it not for Uzumaki's voice cutting through the fear.

"C'mon Zuko. What'd I tell you about scaring people?" The man, Zuko, glanced at the blond mercenary, nodded and returned to sharpening his blades. Brey made a note not to go anywhere near the man so long as he had business here tonight. "Grab a seat." The blond mercenary motioned to an empty chair straight across from him and in front of Brey.

"Thank you Mr. Uzumaki. I am truly sorry to bother you at this time but umm…" the merchant sent a few worried glances at the other partiers. Naruto caught his eyes and nodded in understanding.

"Why don't you folks get a few refills? Tell Ben it's on my tab." With cheers and whistles of thanks the small crowd quickly made their way down the stairs. After the partiers had left, Brey noticed that there was one other interesting individual on the landing. From the style of heavy, overlapping robes and the gray and green color patterns, Brey did not need the distinctive wide brimmed wicker hat to identify one of the Ajhuku, the Forest Folk. The mysterious Ajhuku looked to be nursing an untouched mug. Naruto had noticed Brey's shift of attention. "Don't worry about Shino he's with me. And you are?"

"Brey. Alistair Brey. I am a Master Merchant in service to the Ashford Trade Company and my superiors are in dire need of your services."

"And what," at this moment Brey noticed that though Mr. Uzumaki's smile was casual and relaxed, the mercenary's eyes were steely and focused solely on the merchant, "'services' do your bosses need?"

"It seems… Mr. Uzumaki that certain changes are occurring within Umbria. What changes exactly I can assure who you will be aware of in some time. But know that these changes will most certainly have serious effects on the kingdom's economy and likely beyond." The merchant put his hands atop the table, stippling them as he took a breath before continuing. "A high ranking associate of the Company must reach the city of Warvick as quickly as possible. From there he will continue to a currently undisclosable location to meet with a potential business partner. The Company needs you Mr. Uzumaki and your compatriots to provide… protection."

The blond mercenary took a swallow from his mug before fixing the merchant with a level stare. "How badly is your associate going to need protection?"

"As you may be aware Mr. Uzumaki, the Ashford Trade Company has many powerful enemies. Enemies who could afford a wide range of interference with company dealings."

"When does your associate plan on leaving?"

"Tonight." At that moment the grind of a whetstone on steel ceased. The Ajhuku man identified as Shino turned just so slightly in his chair towards the merchant's direction. "Please Mr. Uzumaki. I know this is sudden-"

"Sudden?" and Naruto had actually started to rise from his seat, "That's like saying the First Patriarch of Joath is pious. We just finished a job days ago! Why-"

"One thousand gold sovereigns." The Ajhuku straightened in his chair and… Oh Joath that man Zuko was looking right at him, he just knew it. "As payment. Here is a banking check for two hundred sovereigns. Now. Just for taking the commission."

Naruto looked at the paper, lips pursed and brows furrowed. His eyes scanned everything from the dating at the top to the signatories and the seal of a Bareth city litigator. As well as the promised amount of two hundred gold sovereigns. "The rest," continued Brey, "will be handed over in Warvick. I promise gentlemen this will be a most dangerous undertaking but I hope you will find the risk worth the reward."

The mercenary leader sat back down. His eyes no longer seemed to focus on Brey. He had one hand tapping some indiscernible rhythm on the table whilst his brow became creased. Naruto then raised his head, traded a series of glances with both Shino and with Zuko off in the corner. Brey did not know what passed so silently between the three sellswords, but he prayed to Joath that fortune would favor him tonight. The tapping stopped.

"Alright Brey you've got some sellswords." Brey may not have let out the deepest sigh of his life. "Now where're do we meet this associate."

"Ah yes," Brey fumbled in one of his pockets before pulling out an envelope and placing it on the table before Naruto. The envelope was sealed with the mark of the Ashford Trade Company. "The directions are in there. I am also to inform you that the small envoy you will be escorting is fully supplied for the trip so there are no worries there. Except perhaps for anything you and yours will need especially."

"Don't worry," and that infectious smile had returned, "We'll be ready. I'll just take those." And before Brey could blink both the envelope and the banking check were off the table and in Uzumaki's hands.

"Very well then." His business here finished he got up to leave. He may not have had sweat coming off his palms. "Thank you Mr. Uzumaki-"

"Leave." Came the voice that sounded far too much like a growl from behind the merchant. Never had Brey dared to go so fast down a staircase in his life.

* * *

"At least you waited till after he payed us." Naruto sent Zuko a half-hearted glare and even in the bad light of the corner, he could tell that little smirk was there. Not once since the two had met had Naruto ever known Zuko to be 'sociable.' As if the scar didn't put off enough people, Zuko seemed to almost take pride in being as intimidating as possible every hour of every day.

"Where," asked Zuko, "Is this city Warvick?"

"It's on the other side of Umbria from here." Naruto downed what remained of his mug before kneeling over to where he had stowed his weapons beneath the table.

"I believe," Shino spoke, still seated with the shadow of his hat concealing most of his face, "Warvick sits on the border between Umbria and the Silver Forest. The Elven territories." Naruto stood back up, now belting two sheathed sabers to his waist. Both silver colored hilts were bedecked and decorated with intricate leaf designs. Each pommel was topped with a fox-shaped head. On the crossguard of one of the sabers, Shino recognized thin elven inscription. Once years ago Shino had made a query as to the meaning of the inscription and its match on the other blade. Naruto had remained silent for a breath or two before answering with single uttering, 'Uzumaki.' A few moments later Naruto had gone into some other elaborate practical joke he had performed on an unsuspecting Academy teacher. But for those brief moments before and after he had answered Shino's question, Naruto had a calmness to his features that the Ahjuku man had only seen a few times since meeting the half-elf, including this very moment.

"I think you're right Shino. It does." And then the calm was gone and that broad smile had resumed its place. "Hey Zuko, did you see where Kiba went?"

"I believe the mongrel left an hour ago with those twins."

"The red-heads?" Zuko nodded.

"Zuko could y- wait no- Shino can you get Kiba and Akamaru? Tell him we've got a job. And it's a high paying job too." Shino got up, leaving the untouched ale mug behind. As he went to the stairs he passed by Naruto.

"Should I include the high chance of danger Merchant Brey mentioned?"

"Good thinking Shino." But Shino had already begun his descent, his layered collection of robes making only the slightest rustle. When Shino had gone from sight Zuko turned to Naruto, his arm-blades hidden by his dark cloak pulled off a nearby chair.

"Daniel should be back at the inn." With one arm Zuko pulled up the hood of the cloak. Naruto had impressed upon Zuko how it was 'rude' to scare those who provided them with food and shelter, no matter how much such folk were being payed.

"If he hasn't sent that money to his folks yet," Naruto called out to Zuko, "Tell him it'll have to wait till after the job. He can leave it with Shika. The lazy ass won't mind." All Naruto got in response was a grunt, but from Zuko that was all he'd needed.

Naruto knew they'd need horses. And he knew a certain lazy horse trader, amateur alchemist, and Collegium dropout to get them from.

* * *

Now, most would consider the combination of horse trader and mage to be an odd and somewhat unlikely combination. In the case of one Shikamaru Nara, it simply meant more work for him. For a century the Naras had been horse traders, and every once in a while a Nara would come along with a talent for magic. The money from the family business was most helpful in sending a magically inclined Shikamaru Nara to the Collegium, center of magical learning in Umbria. From what Naruto had gathered in his all his time around Shika, the man had a brilliant and highly analytical mind. The man could have been an Archmage in half the time it took others to achieve that most esteemed and desired position. Unfortunately Shikamaru Nara also happened to be one of the laziest people Naruto had ever known. Within a year of arriving at the halls of Collegium, Shika had quit. Not drummed out or washed out, he quit. Normally Naruto had a very low opinion of those who simply gave up because they didn't want to do the work, but Naruto also happened to know that the family horse trade hadn't been doing so well at the same time. So Shikamaru came home, helped bring the business out of debt, but he never went back to finish his studies. He did not completely ignore his abilities. He made money on the side as an amateur potioner, selling various concoctions to help with this malady or another. But again, never had Naruto known someone with so much potential who was so lazy, which is why the half-elf took a certain perverse pleasure in banging the horse traders door when the moon was almost at its zenith.

"Wake up Shika, you lazy bastard! I need some horses!" Every few syllables were punctuated by loud rapping upon the horse trader's door. "C'mon Shika I got a job and I need the horses."

"What job could possibly be worth bothering me at…? Thanatos' wings it's the tenth hour!" Naruto wondered where Shika had gotten that water clock, probably the Collegium. Finally the door opened revealing a dark-haired man who stood just an inch over Naruto's five-and-a-half height. Shikamaru Nara, horse trader and part-time potioner, wore a look that somehow combined apathetic laziness with righteous indignation. Naruto had always wondered how the man could perform such a feat of facial expression. In one hand Shikamaru held a lit oil lamp and he looked to Naruto like a man just gotten out of bed, wearing a nightshift and- were those slippers? Must not snicker…damn.

"Nice slippers Shika." Oh did Shika's cheeks turn ever so slightly red or was that just the lamplight?

"They were a gift from Ino. If I don't wear them, then when she asks she'll know I'm lying." He stepped out of the house, locking the door behind him. "Come on let's see if we can kick a few stable-boys into work." Along the way to the stables Naruto made small talk with Shikamaru, asking about his parents, how they were doing, what had Ino and Chouji been doing. Along with those two, Shikamaru had attended the same Academy as Naruto. The Naras, Ino's family the Yamanakas, and Chouji's the Akimichis, had been close friends and business allies as far back as any memory goes. Whilst the Naras were prominent horse dealers, the Akimichi's were one of the biggest suppliers of beef in Umbria, and the Yamanaka's owned some of the finest wineries and vineyards north of the Murcionan border. Each of the three families easily afforded the prices of sending their young to one of the best institutions of education in Umbria- the Baretha Academy. It was there the sons of nobility, officers, and other affluent citizens of Umbria were sent to not only learn, but to also meet and befriend future allies. Naruto was able to attend in large part thanks to his mother Kushina's position as one of the premier dueling instructors of the Academy. No one in the Academy, no one in the city was better, so how could she have been…

"Naruto!"

"What? Sorry Shika," Naruto let a broad toothy smile burst on his face, a hand rubbing the back of his head as part of a childish tick he'd never let go of. "Just remembering the time I snuck a mouse into class. You were there weren't you?" Shikamaru's narrowed eyes in the lamplight, almost dared Naruto to loose what he he'd really been thinking.

"Yes. As I recall somehow you got both of us up for disciplinary duty."

"Eh heh heh." Suddenly Shikamaru stopped, just a few yards from the stable entrance. He stepped closer to Naruto and began speaking in a low voice.

"Naruto." In return the half-elf also lowered his.

"Yeah Shika."

"How much is this job paying?"

"A thousand sovereigns." The horse trader let out a low whistle of surprise.

"Who approached you?"

"Some merchant called Brey. Says he's from the Ashfords."

"I've heard of him. By all accounts he's an honest man; at least as merchants go." This time Shikamaru looked Naruto in the eyes. "Naruto, I've been hearing things. The big players are dusting up their feathers for something."

"Brey said change was coming."

"The last time 'change' came to this country was the civil war almost thirty years ago. And there's more."

"What do you mean?"

"I've still got a few friends in Collegium who talk to me now and then. Collegium is closing most of its doors, leaving very few open. And they've been stocking up."

"For what?"

"Anything, everything- according to one of my old teachers, and I mean really old, the last time Collegium acted like this…"

"The civil war."

"Yeah."

"Shit Shika, I'm just a sellsword." Naruto slid a palm down his brow. "Brey didn't lie the job was going to be dangerous."

"Did he say why?"

"Well it makes sense, the Ashfords are some of the biggest merchants in Umbria. I mean the head of the company is the uncle of the third prince… oh crap."

"Naruto, be careful."

"Yeah Shika, thanks." Both started again towards the stables.

"So Naruto, where do you need the horses to take you?"

"Warvick."

"Long trip. I've got some Adhaka hill ponies. They're small but tough. I've also got…" as Shikamaru went on about horse stock suited for the journey, Naruto's thought on what his friend had said and he remembered something Uncle Jiraiya had told him many years ago, "Never trust a merchant Naruto, for even when he's speaking the truth he's never saying the whole truth."

* * *

One hour, three startled stable boys, and ten horses later, Naruto led the convoy of horses and adolescents back to the inn where he and his band had settled in for the duration. After the horses were tied to the posts out front, he payed each boy a silver ducal and sent them back to Shikamaru. Naruto stepped into the inn, gave a smile and a wave to the innkeeper stoking the hearth, and went up the stairs to where the group had been bunked. After ascending the stairs, the half-elf looked about the landing and spotted Kiba outside his own room chewing on a strip of jerky. The Adhaka hill tribesman stood half-a-foot taller than Naruto, brown hair longer and wilder than Naruto's, and beneath each eye he wore a long downward pointing triangle tattooed in dark red ink. The facial markings pointed Kiba out as not only one of the Adhaka, but specifically of the Mocking Dog tribe. On one side Kiba wore a large hunting knife, a combination of brutality and skill, the blade was heavier near the end where the blade started to slightly curve. Off the other side he carried a fighting axe, simple and crude in look but Naruto had seen that thing cut off tree branches as effectively as it cut off limbs. Naruto could also see hanging off one shoulder an Adhakan recurved bow. Of the weapons in Kiba's arsenal, which also included a good half-dozen smaller knives scattered about his person, that bow was the second most dangerous. The half-elf still remembered the time the Adhakan had punched an arrow through a chest plate with that bow five years ago. Kiba tore off half of the jerky and lowered the rest to Akamaru, his v_adrahkka_ which had been sitting patiently at his side.

Roughly translated vadrahkka meant 'fighting dog of hills.' For centuries the Adhaka tribes had bred and trained the vadrahkka for both hunting and war. Akamaru looked to have been born for the latter. The warhound's shoulders were even with Kiba's waistline, his large fist-sized paws were attached to legs so muscular and firm they looked to have been carved from a tree trunk. His neck seemed more suited to a bull's and it carried a head that somewhat short but obviously thick and heavy. Despite the verily pleased expression the dog wore, Naruto remembered the times he had seen Akamaru's mostly white fur (with long streaks of dark brown on the ears and legs) covered in blood and gore wearing the exact same expression. Kiba, Naruto noted, wore an expression that could be described as 'pain forthcoming.'

Naruto put on the biggest, friendliest, most open smile he'd used in weeks, "I guess Shino found you Kiba, heh, heh."

"Yeah," growled Kiba, "He did. He found me, Akamaru, Felicia and Katrina. You know… the twins? The redheads?" The smile on the Adhaka man's face had as many teeth as Akamaru. Not good.

Kiba had been… interrupted. Only three things could possibly turn his mood around at a time like this. "One thousand sovereigns." The savage grin of impending pain immediately became a mouth gaping in surprise. Fortunately it happened that money was one of them. "Also there's no telling what we'll be running up against." And Unknown degrees of danger were another one. "Now get down there, pick a horse and a spare, and be ready to move out at any moment." A grin of a different sort was on Kiba's face, more eager, almost manic. At his side, Akamaru's expression reflected his master's, his tail thumping in anticipation. The Adhakan went for the stairs, but before he made his descent he clapped Naruto on the shoulder and leaned close, still wearing that keen grin.

"When the job's done and the pay's in, you, me and Akamaru are going to have a little chat about your timing." Naruto turned just slightly so that Kiba could see an expression to match his own looking right back.

"Can't wait." Kiba gave a chuckle and another clap on the shoulder before going down the stairs, Akamaru trailing behind. Problem solved, or delayed in this case. Naruto went down a corridor, looking for the rest of his band.

He passed Shino, who nodded a greeting and Naruto nodded one back, the Ahjukun spellweaver heading towards the stairs. If Naruto happened to notice 'things' crawling around at the edges of Shino's sleeves and collar, well that was just Shino. When Naruto arrived at his own room, he found Zuko leaning against the wall beside the door. On one arm the scarred man wore that vicious gauntlet of his, claws and spines gleaming in the low lamplight. The other hand lay close to the longsword he had claimed after killing a Murcionan noble in a duel, long before he and Naruto ever met. Whatever feelings had towards Murciona, Naruto wouldn't deny they made some of the best swords outside of an elven blade-smithy.

"Zuko," Naruto acknowledged, "Did you get a hold of Danny."

"The boy is putting his pack together." Zuko turned his head so that his whole face was looking at Naruto, those golden eyes penetrating the shadows of the half-lit corridor, "He expected a longer stay."

"I know Zuko, but an offer like this doesn't happen often."

"Maybe there's a reason why."

"Brey didn't bother hiding the danger we'd be in."

"No. He just didn't to tell us what kind of danger." At this point Zuko pushed himself off the wall and stood squarely before Naruto, his six foot frame towered over Naruto's own. "For all we know we'll end up fighting the entire Umbrian army!"

"Okay, now you're just being a little silly." Zuko bristled at Naruto's words, and the half-elf tensed. He trusted Zuko. Whenever Naruto wasn't around it was Zuko who always took charge. But damnit if the man didn't have one of the meanest tempers in the band, probably worst with all the effort he would put reigning it in. "Look Zuko, you're right. I know you are. But that last job didn't pay nearly as much as it should have. With a contract like this, we can even take a break from it all. We could take a ship west to the Kaliil Islands. Good food, hotsprings, and I hear the women from there are almost as pretty as elven girls." Zuko looked Naruto in the eyes, and the blonde could almost hear the stones settling into place.

"I've only fought one Kaliil wardancer. He was one of my better opponents." The smile that grew on Zuko's face reminded Naruto just a little of the first time the two had met, each trying their best to kill the other. "I would want the chance to fight a master." Naruto reached forward and clasped Zuko's arm, not the one wearing the gauntlet, and gave a firm shake that Zuko returned.

"Just think, with all the money from this job you can have all the time to find the best fighter in all the islands. Well, the best before I get there." Naruto's chuckles were matched by low growling versions from Zuko. "Saddle up a horse and I'll see you downstairs with Danny." Zuko nodded an affirmative and walked down the corridor, his balanced, controlled gait eerily making Naruto think of some large hunting cat.

When Zuko had gone down the stairs, Naruto let out the breath he had been holding then continued down the hall to where Danny was bunked. When the half-elf reached the end of the hall, he brought his ear close to a door on the left. From the door he could hear someone bustling about inside. A sudden thump was followed by a string of curses. Hmm, he must have learned those Adhakan ones from Kiba. Naruto opened the door to find a young man, just past his nineteenth winter. Danny, or Daniel Fenton as his parents had named him, had a lean frame, slight but muscled and strong from years of training and fighting alongside the rest of the band. Currently his bright blue eyes were screwed in pain and frustration as he sat on a bed cradling a knee. "Trouble Danny?"

"Nope, everything's fine." The young man let go of the knee, got down on the other one as he reached under the bed. He pulled out a hand and with it a timepiece. Timepieces, little clockwork devices, were a rather recent invention, modeled after designs that had somehow survived the fall of the Adragal Empire of long ago. According to Danny, the timepiece he owned was a gift from his mother, passed down from her father. As the young man stood up off the floor, Naruto noticed the slim streak of solid white in an otherwise pitch black mop of hair. "Just getting packed. I thought we were going to stay awhile."

"I know Danny," Naruto shrugged, "But when a job like this comes by…"

"I know I know, 'when you're a sellsword, we listen for two things, fighting and money-"

"-whichever comes first." Naruto smiled as he recalled when he'd said that to the young man. It had been year after the war and a year into working as a mercenary. Had it really been five years since the five of them, six counting Akamaru, were left without a war to fight in and had gone into the lives of sellswords to make a living off their 'talents.' Naruto noticed the sealed pack next to the door. "You all set Danny."

"Uhuh." The young man responded as he belted a longsword to his side. The weapon, like Zuko's, was also of Murcionan make. Zuko had given to Danny during the war, a prize for surviving a year in the deep woods, skirmishing behind the Murcionan lines. He got it from the corpse of a Knight-Captain Danny had barely slain in a pitched battle. That had been an intense night. Blood sprayed and poured in torrents, men and beasts screamed in the dark, and cold blades cut through both night and flesh. "You okay boss?"

"Wha- oh yeah, fine. I'm just fine. Really? I can't wait to get started." Danny smiled at Naruto's apparent enthusiasm as he went out of the room, picking up the pack along the way.

"And I can't wait for that payday. A thousand sovereigns? Split five ways that's- um- that's… damn I never was good at numbers."

"Don't worry," Naruto assured, "I'm not good with them either and we've got Shino for that. Hey! Maybe one of these days he can teach us." Naruto and Danny both stopped in the hall looked aside at each other… before breaking into laughter. While the two had caught their breaths, Naruto patted Danny's shoulder, "C'mon, the rest are waiting outside."

* * *

A/N: Thought this would be a good stopping point. See you next time when the journey gets started.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The five, with Naruto in the lead and Zuko holding the rear, made their way through the darkened roads and alleys of Baretha. Each traveled fully armored. Kiba had his studded leather vest and bracers under a wolf-hide cloak. Zuko wore a cuirass beneath an arming jacket as well as greaves and a splintmail bracer on the arm opposite to the clawed gauntlet. Danny too wore an arming jacket but beneath it he had a chainmail hauberk instead of a cuirass. Naruto wore a brigandine with steel bracers for his forearms. Shino… Shino just wore his layers of robes and his wide-brimmed wicker hat, though from his waist and his saddle were tied long, hexagonal boxes. Each box wore a symbol in the swirling script of the Ajhuku, and were one to lower an ear to one of the boxes they would hear a low buzzing.

Naruto constantly checked with Kiba in case the Adhakan or his warhound detected anything. Danny and Zuko maintained a constant vigilance, paying attention to upcoming corners and rooftops, watching for any signs of an ambush. Those who rode closest to Shino could hear a slight buzzing around him, and in some shafts of light they would see small thumb-sized figures flitting in and out of Shino's robes. Naruto raised a hand to halt the party, before reaching into a saddle-pouch to remove the directions Brey had given and a glowball. Glowballs were one of the few exports from the elven holds. Small glassy spheres and each one enchanted to give off light; a single glowball could be active for a week before needing to be replaced. They were smaller and more convenient than oil torches but hard to come by without the right contacts and suppliers, such as those Shikamaru knew.

After consulting the directions Naruto led them down another small roadway. Another half-turn of such travel the five sellswords had reached the rendezvous point. When they had arrived, at an open square area with a fountain in the center, they were met by their client. Or rather by their client's coach driver. The driver looked to be a tall man, at least six feet in height, but anything else would take time to determine as the fellow was wrapped in a long, thick cloak and hood. And even from what Naruto could glimpse beneath the hood, the man's face looked to be bandaged completely save for the eyes, nostrils, and mouth. The coach itself was of an interesting design. Most coaches Naruto had seen, especially those used by merchant elite, tended towards glamorous and elegant design. This coach however with its heavy and boxy appearance, looked to have been crafted more for sturdiness and hard travel. Good, it showed the client wasn't a fool. Bad, it showed the client wasn't a fool and had been prepared enough to have such a coach designed and built.

The coachman held out an open, expectant palm. Naruto understood and handed over the letter and envelope with the Ashford company seals. The driver tapped on a panel next to his seat. The panel slid open from the inside and a slim, pail, hand reached out to receive the papers. The driver leaned his head close to the compartment opening, listening to whispered instructions. Finally the panel slid shut and the coachman sat up, his head facing the gathered sellswords. "We are moving out now," he spoke in a deep, firm voice, "We will leave through the North Gate before turning west." This was a voice used to being obeyed. So much for a simple coachman.

* * *

By the time they got to the North Gate, the moon had well passed it zenith and was reaching its three-quarter point. None of the gatemen payed attention to the party, none of them even looked at the small group of coach and horsemen. If anything the guards were putting effort into not looking. Someone however must have been paying enough attention for as soon as the party and coach had neared the gatehouse, the massive doors that sealed the northern entrance of Baretha opened. Huge oaken constructs reinforced with heavy iron and laced with empowering enchantments, such were the gateways of Baretha, as they had been for five hundred years. The gates slowly swung inward, revealing clear and open land stretching to the tree-line miles and miles away. The land surrounding Baretha had long been cleared to deny invading armies the shelter of a forest's shadows.

The moment the coach cleared the gateway, and all four wheels rolled onto the imperial road, the driver whipped the horses into speed. The mercenaries immediately followed suit. Naruto with Kiba and Akamaru rode ahead, Shino hugged the side of the coach, whilst Danny and Zuko held the rear. Within a turn of the glass the group had reached the shade of trees.

The Lockwood Forest was one of the oldest forests in Umbria. It is said that King Rupert I, the first king of Umbria, used the Lockwood to hide his army from his enemies. In thanks of the old wood, Rupert had all the wood for his capital brought in from other forests, making it a Royal Edict that only the King could permit the removal of a Lockwood tree. And so the great forest remained, the only trees ever cleared were for the sakes of the Imperial roadways, by the permission of King Edward I.

Once within the shadow of Lockwood, the coach slowed with the riders following in suit but maintaining their positions. As they journeyed through the elder forest, the thoughts of some began to wander. Naruto's mind kept going back to the warnings Shikamaru had given. Naruto could trust the Nara, his information always panned out to some degree and they'd known each other since their first days at the Academy. So if Shikamaru said something was rotten in the duchy of Florecca- err… Umbria, then somewhere something was rotting. Shika had noticed when something was off with their teacher Mizuki, if Naruto and Sasuke hadn't paid attention sooner, then… Naruto shook his head. They were on the job, he told himself, no distractions.

The moment he was beneath Lockwood's eaves Danny felt the weight of the forest upon him like a hundred pounds of plate armor. He should have seen this coming, the moment Naruto said they'd be leaving through the north gate. Places like Lockwood, such as Redvale, the Deep Marshes, and the Alfarren Forests where the elves ruled accumulated much over the millennia. Some believed these old places saw so much history, often enough violent and bloody, that these events shaped the very spirit of the land. And in some cases, such as within Lockwood, that spirit would become aware. Most of time such places were content enough to sleep. But just because the bear you're passing is asleep doesn't detract from the truth that you're passing a sleeping bear. And as if from a great distance, Danny could hear a rhythmic rumbling, not unlike a gigantic-

"Danny," came Zuko's voice from the right, "When we stop for the night we will resume your training."

"But-," they'd been traveling since last night was what Danny wanted to say but one glance from Zuko told him that there was going to be no argument. Zuko took a lot of things seriously, for him only one thing ever seemed to be more important than training and that was fighting. Not to mention the times the maniac actually combined both. "Yes sir

"Eat up," and Danny's flashed out to catch the hard biscuit Zuko had tossed, "You'll need your strength when we cross blades."

"Thanks." Great, not only will there be training, but actually having to duel Zuko promised certain suffering, practice or not. Though he was hungry. As Danny nibbled away at the biscuit, and without Zuko distracting him with promises of pain, Danny again could hear that far away rumbling, feel it as if it were next to his own heart. For Danny to feel that, when the forest's heart was so distant, and asleep for that matter… sometimes it just didn't pay to be half-dead.

* * *

They arrived at an inn just as the sun touched the horizon in its descent. They were still in Lockwood but the inn took up what was once a large clearing in the forest. The front of the inn sat on the side of the imperial highway. Kiba and Shino led the horses and the coach down a side path towards the stabling area, whilst Naruto went inside flanked by Zuko and Danny. Upon entering the inn, Danny stayed by the doorway, he casually leaned against the wall with his arms across his chest and his hands far from the longsword at his belt. He kept one eye constantly trained outside on the road, only paying fleeting glances to his boss and his fanatic of a teacher.

As the two made their way to the innkeeper's desk, Naruto noticed something about the common area they were walking through. It was almost empty. This time of day, when the sun was setting and Nocturne drew his cloak across the world, people should be down here singing, drinking, and chasing pretty girls, who also happened to be completely absent.

The only others in the commons was four rough looking men rolling the bones. Two were big fellows, one of whom wore a thick beard that looked to have been pulled from a bear's hide. One was rail-thin with the face of a weasel. And the last one looked like he… he did! The guy actually had a gold loop through his nose. They didn't have money on the table and looked to just be passing the time. None of the four had weapons on them, far as he could tell. The half-elf looked to Zuko at his side. Zuko nodded once showing he had noticed the oddness of the room, and shook his head signaling he hadn't seen any weapons on them either, well nothing to worry about at least.

Zuko hung back while Naruto talked with the innkeeper. He kept one eye, his good eye, trained on the gathered quartet. None of the four seemed to have even acknowledged their arrival which was odd in its own right. Everyone stared at the scar. One of the four, Nose-ring, looked up but noticed Zuko's attention and immediately ducked down lower to his game. Hmmm… odd.

"Okay," Naruto spoke loudly as he ambled back towards Zuko, "Rooms are you and Danny, me and Shino, no dogs allowed inside so Kiba'll stay with Akamaru in the stables, while bandage-face and his mystery boss get their own room."

After the rooms had been allotted Zuko led Danny to the back of the inn, past the stables, where the old clearing ended. Zuko walked ahead into the forest and Danny followed. The trees of Lockwood loomed above him, as if walking among them on foot instead of mounted changed his whole perspective. From the ground up he could realize the age and power of these great oaks and elms to have survived the ages as they had. With his Sight he could see the wisps of life long-passed dancing along and within the old trees, starting from the roots beneath and running to the ends of leaves. The moment Danny stepped past one of the great trees he dropped and rolled to avoid the longsword that nearly took his head. All thoughts of spirits and wisps were replaced with focus and instinct.

"Your reflexes are improving." Zuko's voice contained just a shred of approval but Danny only cared about getting up to face Zuko with sword in hand. The younger man held his own longsword with both hands, at mid-guard, feet spread, and his body angled to present a smaller target. "Stance is good," the scarred easterner uttered before launching himself forward. Zuko's blade flew at Danny's head first, a steel blur with the quickness of a viper. Danny blocked and parried, just barely for the strike held both speed and power. The strength in Zuko's sword-arm still jarred the bones of Danny's arms, even after years of hard training with the master duelist. But Danny didn't think of the past, only of blocking the next strike that came at his torso from the other side. Again Danny parried, and again this time sending Zuko's blade away from a diagonal chest slash. On the training went, Zuko constantly attacking leaving Danny with no opportunity to respond. "This is pathetic Danny."

"Maybe…" Danny was already breathing hard, "we should do this in the morning. You know, _after_ I've had a chance to sleep." Zuko lowered his blade as Danny made what he hoped was his most pitiful yet optimistic expression.

"No." Damn the man. "We're heading out at dawn. There's no telling when another chance to train will come. Now," raising the longsword back up, "attack me Fenton. Attack!" And the training resumed. They went on even when the sun was nearly gone from the sky. The whole session looked very one-sided with Zuko being in constant control of the mock-duel. Any time it looked like Danny had a chance to strike back; it disappeared in a haze of steel and fury. Everything came to a stop when Zuko held the blade's edge a breath away from Danny's neck. Sweat rolled of Danny, and his chest burned worse than after that fifty mile march. Zuko, on the other hand, wasn't even breathing hard. "Go inside. Eat, drink, and rest. We're done for now." When Zuko had said 'done' there was a tone of both finality and disappointment. Danny nodded as he walked stumbling towards a back entrance to the inn. He'd have to ask Shino for some poultices. Despite Danny's exhausting defense some of Zuko's attacks had slipped through leaving half-a-dozen grazes and cuts. "And if you find that Adhakan mongrel tell him he's to drink nothing but water tonight. That goes for everyone."

As the young Fenton entered the inn, Zuko watched after the retreating form. He turned, shaking his head. The boy had potential, he knew it, Naruto knew it, even the mongrel and his dog probably knew it. But still Daniel had fear. Fear of what Zuko didn't know. It couldn't be him, he remembered years ago when he nearly lost his temper on the boy. There had been fear in those eyes yes, but there had been courage as well, and a nerve that refused to back down. But now, when Danny was at such a critical point in his training where was that will of his? It wasn't an aversion to violence or battle, fighting side by side in war-torn wilds and on unguarded roads burned away that possibility. It was almost like… Danny was holding himself back.

Zuko made his own way to check on the stables, make sure the Adhakan hadn't left behind a mess, though with Shino's company the chances were lower. As Zuko turned the corner of the inn he payed one more glance into the wood. The forest was still but for the chatter of the birds and the buzz of the insects.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The four men who had played at cards earlier in the afternoon, now made their way quietly up the stairs in the dead of the night. High above outside, the moon had reached its zenith. The leader of the four sported a golden nose-ring, Carran, and was experienced in this kind of work. Just months ago he had performed a similar job at another inn. Granted that inn had been in a backwoods border town, but the mark had had twice as many guards than their current objective and his crew was the same as back then, He glanced behind him down the stairs. Directly behind him were the two brothers Audley and Avery, who currently held crossbows that looked tiny and toy-like in their meaty hands. Audley preferred the shortsword at his waist whilst Avery, who grew his beard long and thick, took joy from using those big fists of his. Past those two, and looking like a rat caught in a granary was Cullen. Scrawny and small, almost tiny when compared to the likes of the brothers above him, Cullen was still one of the meanest knife-fighters Carran had met. Carran would keep his eye on the room across from the mark's, where two of the mercenaries were slept. Meanwhile Cullen would watch all their backs. According to the innkeeper, now dead behind his counter with a slit throat, the other two were bedded further on the other end of the inn.

Good thing too, that man with the nasty scar, the easterner, made chills run down Carran's spine. Like being in the same room with a pit-dog he knew was trained to kill. It was also a good thing that he had three more bravos waiting downstairs in case of trouble. Others he'd worked with over the years, all tough, armed, and experienced at 'night work.' As for the Adhakan and his dog, well he had two men waiting in the woods for a signal from the mark's window.

Everything was set, the men were in place, the mark and his guards should be well in Nocturne's realm, secure in the knowledge they slept along a royal highway. Carran didn't know who had the pull to remove patrols from a royal highway but they paid well and an unsuspecting mark was an easy mark.

Slowly Carran led the three up the stairs and down the hall. Each of Carran's steps was measured and carefully placed. His feet moved ball to heel to slow the descent of his weight upon the wooden planks. He winced at the creak from behind him and turned his head just enough to glare at the two brothers, daring them to make another noise. He trained his ear for any other noise in the hall but was satisfied to hear only silence. The four killers continued down the hall a few more steps before they finally arrived.

To the right of Carran was the merchant's room, with two of the sellswords staying in the room on his left. Carran handed the master-key to Audley before training his own crossbow, cocked, at the door of the bodyguards. He checked to see if everyone was in place. Avery stood next to the mark's door, crossbow cocked and ready to storm in when Audley opened the door with the key, his crossboy also raedy to fire. Cullen stood behind Carran with his knives unsheathed- just in case. Even in the lowight of the half-burned down lamps, Carran could look Audley in the eye before giving a nod to begin. Carran then put all his focus onto the door in front of him, ready to fire at whoever opened it.

He heard the click of the key, the creak of the door… and the twang of the crossbows' release. He knew the bolts had struck true by the thuds from the now open room and the silence that followed. "Check the bodies." Audley, or Avery, grunted in answer and Carran heard the two large men step into the room. Likely they had set their crossbows aside and kept their hands close to the pommels of their shortswords. As the floorboards groaned beneath the massive weight of the brothers, Carran kept his attention trained on the door in front. Some of those sellswords had actually looked dangerous. There was something familiar about the leader, the blond one with the sabers. The same went for the easterner with the scar. But where...

"Carr-!" went Audley's voice from behind, and the mercenary turned his head to look, only to see the big man drop with his throat ripped open and arterial blood pouring forth. Before Carran could turn around he heard the door before him open. He fired the crossbow but a hit to the crossbow threw the shot off. Hands gripped his wrists and pulled a knee to his gut. Winded Carran could do nothing as he was grabbed by the nose-ring right and pulled to quickly met the doorframe. So ended the mercenary career of Carran of Holt.

Finished with the crossbowman, Naruto turned his attention to the rattish man with the knives. The Rat leapt at Naruto, blades striking out with viper-like speed. Naruto evaded with miniscule steps and slight shifts in body mass. Acknowledging the man had some skill with those knives but not nearly as much as the fellow thought he had, Naruto struck out with a small throwing knife he had hidden in his sleeve. The knife struck into the jugular, and it was a few moments before the Rat realized he had been hit. His attacks slowed and he reached with one hand to feel the knife at his neck before dropping to the ground. The whole time Naruto's face carried all the calm stoicism of a cliffside.

The half-elf looked to the room where the client's were supposed to have been to sleeping, to see Zuko stepping out of the dark. The steel claws of his gauntlet were covered in blood and gore. Zuko surveyed Naruto's handiwork in the hall and let out a scoff of disdain, whether for the dead men's lack of skill or Naruto's efforts in dealing with them, the sellsword captain didn't know. Naruto tilted his head down the corridor, listening for any movement. He then motioned for Zuko to follow and stalked towards the stairs, hands slowly sliding his sabers from their sheaths. Even with his half-elven ears Naruto couldn't hear Zuko unsheathing his own blade.

When they reached the rails overlooking the common area, Naruto noticed that the downstairs was at its most crowded since his bands' arrival. There was one man with a shortsword at the foot of the stairs, just leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. Were they not trying to be silent, Zuko would have scoffed again in contempt. Two more men sat around a table near the lit hearth, playing cards in hushed tones.

Naruto looked to Zuko with a broad, toothy grin and even the easterner couldn't hold back a smirk knowing what his leader had planned. Zuko crept towards the stairs whilst Naruto took some steps back from the rails. He'd need a running start after all.

Rucca hated being a standby, especially when he was playing second fiddle to the likes of Audley and Avery, gods even that worm Cullen was higher on the ladder. Nothing was going to go wrong with Carran leading a team of those sorts on the… what the- Rucca's thoughts ended with the sight of a blond haired man crashing down onto the table where Geor and Olf were sitting, breaking the cheap wood. Geor doesn't even have time to fall over in his chair as a silver blur rips up his torso before reaches the ground dead. Olf actually gets up, knocking his chair back, and reaches for a club at his belt but is knocked out by a fast-moving pommel to the chin.

Rucca draws his own short sword and considers whether he should help or run but a length of cold steal up through his side and into his heart spares him from making a decision.

Zuko cleaned the blade on what look to be the least filth-ridden of the would-be assassin's clothes before turning to where Naruto had the knocked out man lain against a wall. The easterner chose not to sheath his weapon as he went over to his leader, noticing the man had sheathed only one of his silverwood sabers and with the free hand was pulling something out of one of many small leather satchels. From a few spans away Zuko could easily smell the salts Naruto now brought down to the unconscious man's nostrils.

With a jolt the fellow woke up, eyes wide, and tried to pull his head away with such force he slammed the back of his head into the wall behind him promptly returning him to unconsciousness. Naruto stared at the again knocked out man, gaze unwavering save for a few blinks, "I think I did that wrong."

Two men skulked their way from the woods towards the rear of the inn and the stable. Upon clearing the treeline they raised their readied crossbows at the entrance of the stable. They'd been warned of the Adhakan and his mongrel but that problem would soon be solved and some extra horses would be available for the traders- One of the men's thoughts was cut off by 140 pounds of canine slamming into his side, massive jaws crushing down on the shoulder. The other man tried to turn his crossbow on the attacking beast but was stopped by a hatchet suddenly burying itself in the front of his skull.

Out of the shadows stepped Kiba, steps careful to not make any noise, and ears trained to detect the slightest stray sound. The Adhakan made way towards where his dog finished crushing the side of the crossbowman's neck. The massive warhound turned from his kill to his master, barely panting from the exertion of a running charge and leap, with a broad and wide grin on his face. "Good boy." Kiba cut off a less bloody swath of a body's clothes to wipe the gore away. When Akamaru was mostly clean, and the hatchet retrieved and cleaned, Kiba made his way into the stable and within the coach. Kiba leaned over to the side of coach and rapped three times on the door panel. "All clear out here."

When a small panel slid open Kiba expected the 'coachman' to respond, he did not expect, "Thank you," the new voice was soft-spoken, yet firm as if beneath the velvet smoothness was a layer of iron, "My man will soon be out to reharness the horses. I suspect your leader will soon have us on the move."

"Yeah… just sit tight while I check on Shino." Kiba didn't bother waiting for a reply before making his way towards the last stall on the right, Akamaru at his heel. The Adhakan Hillman peered around the wooden stall wall before addressing Shino sitting cross-legged inside, "Well… what do your little friends say? There anymore left?" and if his voice held a little bit of longing well who could be blame him, those mercenaries had been barely an effort to deal with.

The brim of the Ahjukan's hat barely tilted upward before, "My familiars report none alive save for those of our party and one prisoner with the captain and Zuko."

Akamaru snorted in what from a human would have sounded like distaste. Kiba absently reached down to scratch the warhound's ears, "I hear you boy, Danny boy could have handled this lot." It was a few moments before Shino responded.

"Perhaps, given time and information and preparation. But the enemy is dead, the client is protected, and all of our party are alive and well." The wide-brimmed hat tilted, "Daniel and the client's bodyguard have exited their room. They are now conversing with the captain."

"Since when do bravos murder innkeepers and try to kill people on a royal highway?" Danny asked whilst checking through the pockets of one of said bravos. There might be something to indicate who had hired the would-be assassins but… nothing. The young man looked to Zuko, who stood up after having checked through another bravo's pockets.

"Nothing," growled the scarred swordsman, "Whoever hired these scum was smart enough to leave nothing to chance." Zuko turned to Naruto who turned to the man quivering and nervously glancing back and forth between the tip of a silverwood saber at his neck and the man holding the saber.

"Please! I don't know a thing. Not even Carran knew. I was there when he agreed to the job, but it was just middle-men he talked to. Please don't kill me! Please!" Oh man, thought Naruto, the guy actually started blubbering. He pulled back and resheathed the saber but before the wretch could utter another word, a swift kick knocked him out for the third time that night. The sellsword captain turned to Daniel, "Check on Shino and Kiba, then bring out some rope… the kind that itches if you can find some." The last part he said with a grin that Daniel returned, followed by a curt nod from a soldier to his superior office.

The bandaged bodyguard, for there was no doubt he was a bodyguard, what with the steady controlled way he walked and the thick flowing clothes meant to cover armor… and the four knives Naruto had spotted hidden here and there and the fellow's person, also moved for the stables, "Hold it!" barked Zuko who then marched up to the bodyguard with casual grace, eyes watching for the slightest tells, "Who has the power and money to set up an assassination on a royal highway, especially barely a day from a city?"

To the bodyguard's credit he turned enough to address Zuko while maintaining a smaller profile, "Are you rethinking your contract already mercenary? Typical sellsword." The arrogance and noble breeding practically dripped with each word. Naruto had served with and against enough knights to know one by the tone alone. They tended to have to the same attitude for sellswords. There was something familiar about that voice but for now…

"Not now Zuko." The captain hadn't failed to notice the flexing of Zuko's clawed gauntlet, a tell that often proceeded violence and mayhem. "Get everyone packed and ready to go. We're not bothering with first light." The easterner growled before turning his head slightly and nodding in acquiescence. He still shot a glare at the bodyguard as he passed into the corridor leading to the stables. The bodyguard waited a few moments before continuing to the stables to check on his master but was stopped when he realized a silverwood saber held against his throat? "If my men die from your client's lack of information," the voice that whispered into the bodyguard's ear sent shivers of primal fear through his blood, "I will cut their shares from your bosses' flesh. Am I clear?"

"Yes Captain Uzumaki." How could he have almost forgotten who and what this man was? This was the man about whom Marcionan mothers whispered about to their children. Be good, stay out of the woods or the Bloody Fox will come for you.

"Alright then." The saber left the bodyguards throat and he could the ominous hiss and click of the blade returning to its sheath. He could almost hear the jovial gin that spoke now, so soon following a bloody promise. "Good talk."

The five mercenaries, warhound, and carriage prepared to set out as the moon neared the end of its nightly voyage, just before the rays of the sun could break across the horizon. Daniel was checking his stirrups when he noticed something, "Umm captain."

"Yeah Danny?" Naruto responded whilst bridling his horse.

"Where did you get that ring?" Naruto checked to see that there was indeed a gold ring over a gloved finger, But where had he… oh…ewww. He quickly tugged the ring off and tossed it off into the lessening dark.

"What ring?" he returned before climbing up into the saddle.


End file.
